The Whore of Babylon

Chapter 6 | part 3

The day after Ani's arrival, there came a knock at the apartment door.

'Only Ashan knocks like that!' exclaimed Kisha in delight.

Mari opened the door and Ashan strode in, wearing his customary military tunic. He bowed to the three girls in the room; Ani had taken herself off to the kitchens to instruct the cooks on foods for the expectant mother.

Kisha struggled to her feet and extended a hand to Ashan. 'Come, sit with me,' she smiled.

'You are very gracious, my lady,' he returned the smile and took a seat.

Eliana moved her stool nearer to the pair, anxious to be closer to Ashan. She always felt a little safer in his presence.

He looked over at her and gave a curt nod, before turning back to her sister.

'You look very well, my lady. Do you have everything you need?'

'I do, thank you.'

'And your sister, has she recovered from her punishment? I'm told she was quite ill afterwards.'

'She has recovered well enough,' Kisha motioned towards Eliana, indicating that he could ask her himself. He ignored the gesture.

A little knot of anger gnawed at Eliana's belly – what had she done to annoy Ashan that he should suddenly turn so cold? They had not spent much time together, but she had thought he was different from the others. At least he had never come 'visiting' with the other soldiers.

The anger turned to a little pang of bitterness as suspicion crept over her – could it be that he was just here to report back to Samsu on whether she was well enough to resume training? She gave a little shudder of fear. The movement drew his eye; he glanced her over, his expression unreadable, before turning back to Kisha.

Furious at the snub, Eliana went over to whisper with Mari, leaving Ashan and Kisha to talk alone.

'Have you seen the way he looks at me?' she began.

'How?'

'Not at all! He can't meet my eyes and he can hardly bear to glance at me! I thought he was decent.'

'He is! Perhaps you've misunderstood.'

Eliana gave her a look. 'Misunderstood? He doesn't look at me or speak to me, he acts as though I'm not here. How does one misunderstand that?'

Mari shrugged, 'well, he's seen you naked – perhaps he's embarrassed? ... Maybe he prefers men!'

The two of them snorted with laughter; Kisha turned a mildly disapproving stare on the girls, quieting them.

'Maybe!' coughed Eliana, trying to cover her giggles. She sobered abruptly as a thought occurred to her, 'or maybe it's because he's seen me at my weakest. He's seen me meekly do as I'm told by Samsu and the Brute, instead of standing up for myself. He's seen me vomit, he's seen me violated... I probably disgust him.'

The notion made her unexpectedly miserable. She shouldn't care, she told herself. He was just another of Samsu's minions, and no concern of hers.

She looked over at him talking with Kisha. The pair were deep in conversation – Kisha smiled and rested her hand on her swollen belly as she spoke.

The door to the apartment swung open and Ani slipped back in so quietly that Eliana did not even notice her until she glided past.

Ani moved near Kisha – Eliana could pinpoint the exact moment that Ashan noticed her.

He did not need to look at her, but his body stiffened suddenly and his face closed up. Eliana saw the hurt in Kisha's eyes as he stood abruptly, while she was mid-sentence.